Coby wanted independent living skills before he left foster care, but child services didn't get the NDIS support
asserted
services → want → support
In short:
A 19-year-old former foster child with autism and an intellectual disability was not prepared for life as an independent adult because his NDIS plan was not updated for several years to include those supports.
Child Safety Services staff apologised to his foster parents for his NDIS plan being "completely out of whack with his current wants and needs".
asserted
plan → prepare → wants
After Coby's case coordinator initially suggest he either stay with his foster parents, a shelter or couch surf, the 19-year-old's NDIS plan was ultimately updated to allow him to stay at a supported living home until 2028.
asserted
him → suggest → 2028
Coby spends almost all of his time on his computer, either playing games or writing code.
asserted
Coby → spend → code
It's the only place where the 19-year-old feels safe and content.
asserted
old → feel → ?
But while his computer skills are improving rapidly, his independent living skills need work.
asserted
skills → improve → work
"I want to get more skills at cooking, money handling …
asserted
I → want → cooking
I'm wasting my money on stupid things."
Coby has level two autism, ADHD and an intellectual disability; he needs to be prompted to prepare food for himself and take medication.
asserted
he → waste → medication
He lived with foster carers until just before his 18th birthday, when he was relocated into a supported independent living house in suburban Hobart where he lives with two others.
asserted
he → live → others
"I get the help and support that I need …
asserted
I → get → that
I know most of the workers that come, I get along with them," Coby said.
asserted
Coby → know → them
"If I had to move, my mental health wouldn't be good because I would lose all of that."
But moving is something he has been forced to contemplate four times this year — including into public housing — at the suggestion of child safety.
asserted
he → have → safety
He now fears that if he leaves the house, he won't be allowed to return.
asserted
he → fear → house
So he stays at his computer.
asserted
he → stay → computer
Staff acknowledge support issues
Coby missed out on critical support to develop independent living skills as a teenager.
asserted
Coby → acknowledge → teenager
It was the responsibility of the Child Safety Services to ensure Coby's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan included this as he prepared to transition to adulthood, but his plan changed very little from age 10 to 17.
asserted
plan → ensure → 17
The NDIS plan is how these supports would have been funded.
asserted
supports → fund → ?
Child Safety workers and support staff recognised this issue, in emails sent to his foster parents, and seen by the ABC:
asserted
workers → recognise → ABC
"… I am sorry that [a review] has not occurred for three years … his needs would definitely be different to what they were three years ago"
"… the plan has been rolled over multiple times with limited updates, resulting in outdated goals and potentially misaligned funding allocations"
"… completely out of whack with his current wants and needs"
There were also severe funding and resource constraints, which child safety workers said limited their ability to respond to his foster carers' concerns:
"… unfortunately the ongoing lack of resourcing in [Child Safety Services] and [Out of Home Care] makes it very difficult for us to respond quickly … there are so many demands on our time"
"… [Out of Home Care] isn't currently able to offer much proactive support for carers"
"…
asserted
Out → occur → carers
[Child Safety Services] acknowledged the frequency of visits had decreased due to … a shared care management model and staffing numbers being lower than normal at present"
asserted
numbers → acknowledge → model
His foster carers feared what would happen when Coby turned 18, after their calls for supports in his NDIS plan did not eventuate.
asserted
calls → fear → plan
They received a government form to sign, which stated the department would no longer be his legal guardian when he turned 18, and that it "does not have any legal responsibility for the young adult".
asserted
it → receive → adult
Coby was moved into supported independent living — but his housing issues were far from resolved.
asserted
issues → move → living
Case manager raised 'couch surfing' as an option
While waiting to see if his new living arrangement would get NDIS funding and approval from the provider, Coby started to receive offers of other housing from government agencies.
asserted
Coby → raise → agencies
Two of these were for public housing, where he would get about four hours of care support a day.
asserted
he → get → support
He rejected them.
asserted
He → reject → them
"They think they're trying to help me by wanting me to live on my own, when I've learnt nothing,"Coby said.
asserted
I → think → own
His rejection prompted an email to his foster parents from his case coordinator, who had been engaged by Child Safety through a non-government organisation:
asserted
who → prompt → organisation
"I have asked he consider his options for accommodation — your home, shelter or couch surfing," they wrote.
asserted
they → ask → accommodation
But Coby's choice was backed up by multiple reports from concerned medical practitioners.
asserted
choice → back → practitioners
One wrote that he needed 24-hour supervision until he gained critical independent living skills.
asserted
he → write → skills
"Without this he will be taken advantage of, engage in unsafe, unhealthy and eventually criminal practices," they wrote.
asserted
they → take → practices
Another report strongly urged that he remain in the supported independent living house.
asserted
he → urge → house
"[He requires] structure, consistent staffing, and trauma-informed supports to maintain his safety, participation, and wellbeing," it reads.
asserted
it → require → safety
A report this year questioned why the other medical practitioner reports had not been fully followed.
asserted
reports → question → ?
"… such an attitude can place him at risk of harm which can be seen as neglect," it reads.
asserted
it → place → neglect
Some of these reports were provided to the department before it decided to offer him public housing.
asserted
it → provide → housing
Coby to stay for now, but can't trust agencies
asserted
Coby → stay → agencies
Coby's NDIS plan was ultimately updated to allow him to stay at the supported living home until 2028.
asserted
him → update → 2028
But the uncertainty over his housing and the way his support has been managed has left him distrustful of government agencies, and he no longer returns their phone calls.
asserted
he → manage → calls
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia